George C Marshall High School - Columbian Yearbook (Falls Church, VA)

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GCM 104 STUDENT LIFE l ► F . Above left: Melanie May prays for last minute inspiration before head ing to class. Above center: Trying not to let life get to her, Mary Ber nazam rests from tedious reading. Below center: For an instant Stevi Keen regards things optimistically. Above right: Adventures in Englisi Literature feels left behind. Below right: Pausing a moment, Lejuai Carter ponders the value of it all. 1

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t Jk HH — the Inaugural festivities of a newly- reelected President, for example. The pros¬ perous Republicans celebrated their return to the White House in a fitting manner: magnifi¬ cent concerts at the Kennedy Center and the National Cathedral were followed by a briskly- stepping two-and-a-half-hour parade (which included several Marshall instrumentalists who were part of Fairfax County’s “historic 1976-member” Marching Band especially created for the occasion) and no less than five gala Inaugural Balls at different locations around Washington. The weekend full of fes¬ tivities provided even the most pessimistic nation-watcher with a few hours of fun. Although many Americans were worn out with trying to predict the next course of events, or get excited about their opinions, or even form opinions in the first place, things could have been a lot worse. Undoubtedly the world was changing — whether for the good or the bad remained to be seen for those who questioned. tort r Au Zems t jA 3a yte rrurrcAyori yAa rvcA iwr MA erriAAecA — At fur ' 7A ,yA otrtAu At 73 tflruzt utraA■ ' ' rtnxtAt. Top: President Nixon and Vice President Agnew view the high school marching band in their Inau¬ gural Parade. Marshall’s participants , though nearly lost among instrumentalists from other Fairfax County schools, are recognizable by their uniforms — visored hats, dark trousers, and light blue jackets (which appear gray). Above: The official token of appreciation received by students who marched in the parade.

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I want to pass it with an “A”. I’m going to study really hard. He’s not going to catch me this time. I’m going to be able to handle any¬ thing he asks. I’ll memorize everything he’s said for the past three weeks. Oh boy! I’ve got to study. This can make my future. I can go where I want to go, become what I want to be. I’ve got to pass this with a “A”. Please, please don’t make it Tuesday — not Tuesday. Tuesday I’ve got a paper due, a lab to make up, an exam to pass. No way — there’s no way I’ll get it all done; I might as well just watch the boob. You can’t do that to me! I knew everything you didn’t ask, never und erstood this. You never did explain it right. Five? You only gave us three! Write a short essay explaining the paradoxical psychological social-linguistic aspects of this statement . . . why do teachers seem to think so strangely? They’re so totally predictably unpredictable. Multiple choice: thirty percent. Eeny Meeny Miney Moe — “C”. My fate is predetermined. If I pass I do; if I don’t — I can’t. School isn’t everything, you know. What are grades anyway? So they need to give me a grade — set me in a group — let me in, keep me out. They have to find out where I am, what I know, just how much I can do. Since when does an engineer have to know about Robespierre? So I’m in a bad mood. On January 30, 1973, Phelix von Plex was in a bad mood and flunked a test. We won’t let him come to our college. We don’t want to hire him. But then again, so what. He was in a bad mood. He flunked a test; now he has a grade. All the blanks are filled in my deep blue book. No one can blame me! He doesn’t want to learn anyway. The brat! Well, yeah, so what! I can go on. This doesn’t kill me, stop me, hold me anywhere. There will be more tests, with more grades on more scales. I can always get by the next one, if I put my mind to it. I’ll move on to the next course, the next Spring, the next place. Grade me as you will! Does that change me? Me! That’s who I am, have been, will be. You can let me in, keep me out. I’ll still get wherever it is that I am going. Part IV: (ten points). Wow! With ten points I can get a different grade. Get this question and — Hurray! Miss it and that’s ten down.Oh, wait. Five minutes left! Can my fate really be tied to this silly paper? I just can’t believe that. No matter what I write I’m going to go home tonight and come back tomorrow morning. And the next day too. Well, Okay, let’s try. I might even pass this. Zzzzz . . .